Hi everybody! I managed to make it back to Albania from snowy, sub-zero Scotland. The UK is having its most severe winter weather in half a century, and I felt very lucky to fly out on a day when the airports were open and functioning! And here in the Balkans we are having heavy rains with flooding in low-lying areas: bridges are washing away, people are being evacuated from their homes, and we are advised not to travel in the region. Crazy winter weather this year.
Now on to Philofaxy business. I've been largely absent from Philofaxy during my vacation (except for one quick post banged out while at an internet cafe, and the Christmas FFAF that I pre-wrote and scheduled to auto-post). I've missed Philofaxy!
Today's order of business: a support group for downsizers! I've noticed that there are several people who are downsizing, whether from A5 to Personal, or Personal to Pocket. I know it's not easy to move to less space, so let's discuss.
For those of you who have successfully downsized in the past, let's hear from you. How did you do it? What worked for you? What changes did you have to make in how you do things when working with a smaller page size?
For those of you currently downsizing: How's it going? Are you enjoying the freedom of a smaller, lighter book? Or are you still trying to figure out how to make the smaller book work for you?
I know it's not always easy to do more with less, but we are here to support you!
It's not a big deal. Just write smaller.
ReplyDeleteI'm moving from an A5 to a personal. But the Classic personal arrived with a broken clasp. I've sent it back to FF and hope that the new one arrives back this week.
ReplyDeleteMore to come!
I'm going in the opposite direction. I know this is a Philofax site - I've never had the opportunity to use one, I'm currently using time/design. I've used mostly the compact size for two years, but over the last several months I've been trying to get myself to move to an A5. I love the compact size but I always feel that subconsciously I am limiting what I put in there because of the limited space. The A5 size requires so much more discipline to carry around with me though - so I've just ordered a real expensive one to make it worth it :) An A5 business cuba leather (the price is a big ouch though)
ReplyDeleteI purchased a personal going from an A5. I just ordered a new Kendal A5!!
ReplyDeleteI tried the personal starting the beginning of 2010. The problem is I ended up writing on a note pad because the personal is just too small. Assame though because it fit so nice in my laptop. I work with a group of people that are using FC "monarch size". I can't go that far. LOL
I am going to keep my personal and dual write for awhile as someone else suggested. Until I can decide.
On the bright side, I can't wait for the Kendal A5! It's like Christmas all over again!! I will keep posting my findings.
Plaiditude - how do you like the Time Design pages? I am using the A5 size for 2010 - trying NOT to switch :) - do you like the calendar format? Would appreciate any tips!
ReplyDeleteClaudia
I just ordered my first Filofax after using FC for years. I am so excited!! I've been wanting a planner that I can take with me on the go, so I ordered the personal size filofax.
ReplyDeleteI recently downsized from a Personal to a Slimline which holds the same size paper as the personal, so not downsizing on how and what I write but more so in what/how much I carry with me. At first I was doubtful, but now I have it down to a science - In there, I keep only the lists I absolutely need with me at all times, 6 months worth of month-in-view and 3 months of week-on-two-pages, phone numbers for emergency contacts, services and doctors. Everything else stays in my personal Filofax which stays at home - I still use it, but don't carry with it me. In there I keep extra lists, exercise information, and the diary pages for the rest of the year, so still accessible when I need it, but left at home most times.
ReplyDeleteLike kanalt, I just bought a Slimline (Metropol) last week!
ReplyDeleteMy Personal (Domino) with all my lists, projects, adresses, maps... stays on my desk at home.
In this new Slimline (which I take with me when I leave the house) I only have a month-on-2-pages diary, the current month of the day-per-page diary, some important phone numbers and a few sheets of note paper.
I downsized last spring from A5 to personal. It took the rest of 2008 to get my system re--vamped the way I wanted it. My biggest adjustment -- moving to one page per day, instead of the vertical week at a glance (my definite preference). The last time I Tried to downsize to personal, I tried to work with a week at a time, and there was just not enough room. This time, I'm using the 2-pages-month as my overview calendar, and keep three months of daily pages (current, past and next). What I like about this is that even though I have sacrificed the week view, I still have a vertical column for appointments (I have a lot of meetings), plus plenty of room for to-dos, notes, etc.
ReplyDeleteDownsizing has made handbag shopping much easier, to be sure,a nd my shoulder appreciates the lighter weight.
Sticking with my A5 for my journal, personal slimline for my appointments for this year.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am tempted to downsize to my Finsbury Personal for 2011 for my journal.
The advantages would of course be commonality in page size, and greater choice of diary refill formats in personal size compared to any other size.
Very comfortable with carrying around the personal slimline though, excellent purchase last year.
I went from the Palgrave student planner (bigger than A5) to a pocket filofax, both with a week on 2 pages. I have small handwriting anyway, I can see how the pocket might be difficult otherwise, but putting aside how much i love the new filofax, it's much better for me to stay organised. I keep the diary pages for classes, appointments and to-dos, whereas with so much space i was scribbling notes, doodles and everything else just anywhere on the page. a small amount of space helps me stay focused.
ReplyDeleteClaudia Volkman:
ReplyDeleteI like the Time Design pages. A year ago they moved the compact size over to a newer European design which I really liked. Currently in Canada and USA they still use the older format for A5, I'm hoping that eventually they change over that size to the newer format as well. The monthly Calendar format takes a bit of getting used to (each day is a line across the page, rather than a square block) but it's also very useful. You can see the CAN/USA format of A5 here:
http://www.timesystem.us/v/vspfiles/V4_Backup/refill_samples_A5.htm
and the Compact size here:
http://www.timesystem.us/v/vspfiles/photos/A60XXX-3.jpg
I'm keeping my personal one for work (aka My Brain - everything is in there), but I had a brainwave earlier this week when I realised I needed a new address book and a new diary. So I'm going to the extreme, I bought a Mini in the sale and used the discount code on here to buy lots of extra infills. It's small enough to carry round in my bag everyday and I think it's going to become My Other Brain. I am very excited. I keep stroking it, is that wrong?
ReplyDeleteI went from my Red Personal Finsbury to a Raspberry Pocket Finsbury...I love it! I wanted something light I could throw in my purse and so far,it has worked out great. My goal for 2010 is to use this filofax the entire year..I made this announcement to my friends at work and they asked me if I realized what I was saying....typically I switch a couple times a year...but for 2010 I am really going to try to make this one work the entire year!
ReplyDeleteI'm moving from personal to pocket. I had been using the week view pages but found not enough room in the pocket version, so I switched to the two-day per page and am happy with it. I have enough space for meetings and notes for each day, and for to-do lists which are not date-specific I am using both the Notes section and the Jot Pad pages, which I really like. The Jot Pad page clips right in and moves with the page marker, and you can replace it easily as soon as you complete your list items. I love Filofax, glad to have found this site!
ReplyDelete@helen, no of course it's not wrong! :)
ReplyDeleteI kept stroking (and admiring, and looking at the inside of) my Kendal A5 I bought last year, and that was me UPsizing, both for the extra space & ease of making my own custom-printed refills.
I like magazines, and whenever I get one with a sample of scent in, I rip the paper out and put it inside the front pocket.. meaning I sometimes sit and SMELL my Filofax, too!
(Welcome to The Internet - the place where you can always find someone madder than yourself!)